IAF to get indigenous low-level transportable radars under Rs 2,906 crore deal | India News

NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Wednesday inked a Rs 2,906 crore contract for procurement of 18 `Ashwini’ low-level transportable radars (LLTRs) for the IAF, as a part of the continued drive to strengthen indigenous army capabilities.
The contract was inked with defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), within the presence of defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, for the LLTRs designed and developed by the Electronics & Radar Development Establishment of DRDO. This is the primary time that the IAF will induct indigenous LLTRs as an alternative of these imported from overseas.
“The Ashwini LLTR is an active electronically scanned phased array radar based on state-of-the-art solid-state technology. The radar is capable of tracking aerial targets from high-speed fighters to slow-moving targets such as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or drones and helicopters,” a MoD official mentioned.
“The acquisition will significantly enhance IAF’s operational preparedness. The programme is a major step towards achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing by reducing dependency on foreign companies, besides acting as a catalyst for development of the country’s defence-industrial ecosystem,” he added.
The IAF deploys quite a lot of ground-based radars, together with LLTRs, in addition to airborne sensors for ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities alongside the borders with China and Pakistan.
The power can also be wanting to induct specialised mountain radars to look deep into enemy territory alongside the three,488-km Line of Actual Control with China, which has upgraded all its air bases going through India and deployed an in depth community of radars and surface-to-air guided weapons for the reason that army confrontation in japanese Ladakh erupted in April-May 2020.